Ghost

This book is an interesting contemporary novel about a boy who wants to change who he is, but is not sure how. After running from his drunk father, who tried to shoot him and his mother, Ghost isn't sure about his life. He wants to play basketball, but he knows that he won't get on with his troubled attitude. Then, one day, he decides to run for the local track team, and he begins to think that there may be more to his life and the way he treats himself and others. But can he escape his delinquent past, and run towards a better future?

Ths was a fun novel to read, and I really liked the personal voice that Reynolds gives to Ghost. This voice is something that can be a challenge to write convincingly, and this was done excellently. I also liked the different side characters. Many of them, with the exception of Coach, we not given enough of a spotlight, but they were developed enough that I could see them in future installments. Another element that truly stuck out to me was the journey that Ghost took as a character. I believe he made a convincing change from beginning to the end, and seeing the introspection that Ghost goes through is something that may young people need to read, and can benefit from.

So why did I give this book a four out of five? Well, I listened to it on audio, and I think that one problem with the narrator is that he is too old for the role. We needed someone like the narrator who did the first Percy Jackson series, aka someone who can do the fun and whimsy when it is needed, but also display the vulnerability of someone when they are young. This narrator tries to do this, but all I can think of when I hear him is more of a class clown in high school, rather than a delinquent middle schooler.

Still, this was my first experience with Jason Reynolds, but it will not be the last. I enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait to give his novels another go. I give this book a four out of five.